Is it she?
by Inakin
Summary: Hermione's back at Hogwarts but even Severus Snape can notice something is wrong... My firs fic, please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

- I'm sure you do remember Miss Hermione Granger - said Dumbledore with this annoying twinkle in his eye. Severus Snape scowled. All he needed after a long, tiring day was a discussion on Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger? Wait, wait, wait! There must be something wrong with both of them! He cast a look at the Headmaster, frowning. And then she spotted a tiny, brown-haired witch, who was sitting at the Headmaster's desk. Damned!!  
  
- Of course I do, Headmaster - he said finally, recollecting himself. - Besides, who wouldn't? The witch twitched and turned to face him. He couldn't decipher her expression. - I'm glad to hear it, Severus - the Headmaster said. - I've been just thinking you might need an assistant and Hermione has been always excellent at Potions. - Thank you, headmaster, I. - Snape started, confused. Well, yes, he remembered Hermione perfectly, her brilliant mind and, ekhem, her undeniable charm, especially when she grew older, but still he didn't want anything to undermine his position in the school. - Hermione is going to stay no longer than two terms- said Dumbledore, smiling. - But well, if you don't need any help, we shall find some other kind of occupation for our guest. The witch smiled at him, shyly and with embarrassment. What stuck Snape the most was the fact that it was very unlikely of her to smile like that.  
  
- I'm sorry to cause you any problem, Professor - she said when they left Dumbledore's office. It was even more un-Granger-like, un-Gryffindor-like. There was definitely something wrong with the girl (Girl? Where the hell are you eyes, Severus? he told himself), as if something have broken her. - Don't worry, Miss Granger, I'm capable of handling the situation - he said, but without the usual malice in his voice. Well, actually why should he care? She looked somehow relieved and less tense at what he said and he started being angry with himself.  
  
He half expected to see the Potter's snowy owl delivering a letter to Hermione at breakfast, but nothing like that happened. She did not receive Daily Prophet as she used to during her school time. She just sat at the staff's table and talked quietly with McGonagall who seemed somehow worried. Still then, Hermione used to be her favourite student.  
  
Both Gryffindors and Slytherins were surprised to see a young witch to teach their class the next morning. Snape just sat in the back of the classroom and was watching her carefully. She introduced herself and the students started to talk, surprised, but she managed to stop them. They were right to be surprised, Snape thought, she was the part of the Golden Trio, the best friend of the war hero Harry Potter. And then she suddenly disappeared a year after the war ended, a year after her graduation. At some point he has heard that Potter and the Weasleys were contacting her but she never showed up. As if he cared. No, no, he was supposed to pay his whole attention to the class.  
  
He was flabbergasted. Of course he wasn't going to admit it to anybody, not even to himself. It was just nice to have the most brilliant mind Hogwarts has seen for ages as an assistant, that's all. Well, it was also nice to know she would sit only two places from him at the staff table in the Great Hall, but no-one was to realise that. From time to time he let her show some nice but complicated, funny potions to the students, like ones changing colours of the items dipped into or some beauty potions for girls. Beside that he strictly followed the syllabus and made sure she did that as well. He still was harsh and partial, but somehow checked himself in her presence.  
  
He knocked at the door and entered, having heard 'Come in!' She sat cross- legged in an armchair at the fire place and was reading something. As if he could expect her to do anything else. - Oh, it's you - she seemed pleased. - Please sit down. - I'm. just for a moment - he protested, but somehow inconvincibly. - Then you will get up in a moment - she responded brightly. Yes, that was closer to Hermione Granger he knew.  
  
He didn't reject tea, when she offered. She felt tempted to ask what brought him there, but didn't want to spoil that moment. What irony that she was happy to see her former Potion Master. the ex-Death Eater, greasy git, overgrown bat etc. She felt she didn't deserve anyone's company. She shouldn't have surrendered to this atmosphere of warmth, to the cosiness of this room and the pleasure of his presence. Of anyone's presence, she corrected herself. She sat in silence, sipping her tea and trying not to think about the past. And the future. And the present. - Why are you here? - he asked, making her start and regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth. He desperately wanted to say something unimportant, just to start taking but this subject didn't seem to be the right choice. - I'm waiting for a trial - she said, seemingly calm. She stared at fire. - A trial? - he repeated, surprised. After the defeat of Voldemort and almost all Death Eaters being sent to Azkaban, there were very few cases to be held at Wizengamot. She nodded with her head. - I have done something evil and stupid - she said after a while. - But maybe some more tea? 


	2. Please do not make our lives more compli...

Hermione didn't come to the dinner that evening, probably ashamed of her confession to him, he thought. Hardly surprising actually. The Head of the Slytherin House wasn't the perfect man for the brave Gryffindors to confide to.  
  
She dreamed of him that night. He hold her in his arms, she could feel his strong, muscular body against her and she was happy, she felt safe. Than she heard footsteps coming closer, heard that creak of a wooden floor, and that old, cold fear crept to her again. He held her tight, she suddenly got scared that they cooperate but then everything got flooded with bright light and she woke up, not knowing what to think about it.  
  
She was pale and confused when she went to the breakfast. She even wanted to tell Snape she wasn't going to come to classes but reminded herself she had promised some hair care potion to the fourth years girls. She couldn't let them down, the Yule Ball was drawing closer.  
  
To the ball she wore a long maroon dress, slightly darker than her hair. She wanted to look decently and modestly. Keeping in mind the reason she was there she wanted Dumbledore to know she remembered. She was very grateful for his help - without him she would have been in Azkaban since a very long time and with no chance to stand to the trial.  
  
She looked very charmingly. Snape was watching her in awe and it took him quite a long time to sum up all his courage to ask her to dance. He could think of thousands of reason why she could not want to dance with him and Misters Potter and Weasley were actually not the most important ones. He was already moving in her direction when Dumbledore asked her. He must have told her something funny, maybe he was even paying her compliments because she was laughing with all her face and her eyes. She rarely laughed and rarely smiled - sometimes while sitting with Snape in her office. Sometimes she watched him with those amber eyes of hers, making him shiver. but he forget about it, watching her with the headmaster, suddenly overcome with jealousy. It was as if this annoying, Gryffindor know-it all meant something to him?  
  
The Weird Sisters started to play some slow, romantic tune when he reached her. He didn't even notice the pleasure with which she watch him coming. She noticed that he was looking surprisingly handsome, quite contrary to what she remembered from her school days. Contrary? a small voice in her head asked. Well. she thought. Maybe she saw him through Harry's and Ron's eyes, not brave enough to tell them she could see some positive aspects of his character. As if the whole Hogwarts concentrated in this very man - he was as courageous as a Gryffindor, as clever as a Ravenclaw, as loyal as a Hufflepuff and as secret as a Slytherin. Or it were only her stupid, childish thoughts, side-effect of her teenager crush, something that once more proved how unprepared for the life she was.  
  
He didn't even have to ask whether she would like to dance. She just stood up when he reached out his hand. He laid his hand on her hip and held her closer than it was sensible to do. She didn't protest, just rested in his arms like a little, exhausted bird. He didn't want to frighten her away with too passionate a look or gesture but than she looked him in the eyes and he could see how happy she was to be close and to dance with him. The music ceased and he felt that Hermione was moving away as reluctantly as he was letting her go. He cast a look around and saw Dumbledore watching them with his brow furrowed, but he was rather upset than angry.  
  
- Come in! - she cried, hearing someone knocking on the door. She run out of her bedroom to her office, not wanting to receive anybody there. not Snape. - You were expecting somebody else, didn't you? - said Dumbledore quietly, seeing her freeze. She blushed and run to get her dressing gown. - I've got no right to pry into your affairs, Hermione - he said, after having sat. - I strongly believe that what had happened. that your husband's death was a kind of accident. But until everybody is convinced of that. or at least until the Wizengamot don't decide something please do not make your life, Severus's life and mine more complicated than it already is. She nodded, biting her lip and visibly struggling with some feeling. - I just. - she said uncertainly. She knelt down beside the armchair where Dumbledore was sitting and looked pleadingly into old wizard's eyes. - Just everything went wrong, it shouldn't have been like this! He could hear despair in her voice. - I just don't know what's going on with me. I know, I have no right to that, but I'm just feeling safe with Se. with professor Snape - she finished quietly. It pained him to hear her talking like this but he knew it would be wrong to encourage her on anything. - I never loved Sigfrid. I respected him, it seemed to be love when he, one of the greatest wizards of our times turned his attention to me - she said sadly, her eyes riveted on his face. - And then he. - I know, child. I do believe you - he said reassuringly.  
  
Someone knocked at the door. Hermione didn't answer but the door opened anyway and Snape entered. He was still in his dress robes and carried a long red rose. He did his best to conceal his astonishment, seeing Hermione kneeling at Dumbledore's feet. - I think it's time you listened to something - Dumbledore said when Snape was about to retreat. - Take a seat, Severus. He obeyed, trying to make the rose invisible. He couldn't remembered the last time he had made a fool of himself more blatantly. Hermione rose to her feet and moved to the mantelpiece. 


End file.
